This Thunder vs Spurs preview October 21 covers the final game of NBA opening night: the Oklahoma City Thunder visit the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center at 9:30 AM Philippine time. It’s a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Finals, which San Antonio won in Game 7.
The two teams had the West’s best regular seasons in 2025-26. Oklahoma City posted the league’s best record for a second straight season, while San Antonio went on to reach the NBA Finals.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | Wednesday, October 21, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 9:30 AM PHT |
| Venue | Frost Bank Center, San Antonio |
| Competition | NBA regular season, opening night |
| TV in the Philippines | NBA TV Philippines |
Where both teams stand
Oklahoma City went 64-18 and finished with an 11.1-point scoring margin, one of the largest in NBA history, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the league MVP award. San Antonio went 62-20, beat the Thunder in seven games in the West Finals, and lost the NBA Finals to the Knicks in five games.
| Team | 2025-26 record | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 64-18 | Lost 4-3 to the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals |
| San Antonio Spurs | 62-20 | Lost 4-1 to the Knicks in the NBA Finals |
Thunder vs Spurs: head-to-head
San Antonio had the edge in this matchup last season, winning eight of the teams’ 12 meetings across the regular season and playoffs. The last of them was Game 7 of the West Finals, which sent the Spurs to the NBA Finals and ended Oklahoma City’s season.
Both teams return their cores, so this opener is the first look at whether the Thunder have found answers to the problems San Antonio gave them in the spring.
Projected starting lineups
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson plans to open with a three-guard lineup, starting rookie Dylan Harper alongside De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle. Oklahoma City’s expected group is built around the same core that won 64 games.
| Thunder | Spurs |
|---|---|
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | De’Aaron Fox |
| Cason Wallace | Stephon Castle |
| Jalen Williams | Dylan Harper |
| Chet Holmgren | Devin Vassell |
| Isaiah Hartenstein | Victor Wembanyama |
Key matchups to watch
Victor Wembanyama vs the Thunder frontcourt
Wembanyama is the best rim protector in this matchup, and San Antonio’s smaller lineup puts even more on him at both ends. Holmgren and Hartenstein give Oklahoma City size to test him on the glass, and second-chance points could decide a close game.
Gilgeous-Alexander vs the Spurs guards
Starting Fox, Castle, and Harper together gives San Antonio three ball-handlers to defend the reigning MVP. How the Spurs share that assignment, and how the Thunder punish a smaller lineup, is one of the main tactical questions of the night.
Dylan Harper’s bigger role
Harper moves into the starting lineup in his second season after playing a key role in last spring’s playoff run. His fit with Fox and Castle is the biggest change from the team that reached the Finals.
Team news
Both teams are missing players for the opener. Chet Holmgren has been cleared to play for Oklahoma City.
| Player | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Tobias Harris | Spurs | Out (left calf strain) |
| Jayden Quaintance | Spurs | Out |
| Otega Oweh | Thunder | Out for the season (Achilles) |
Harris, who joined San Antonio in the offseason, will miss what would have been his Spurs debut after straining his calf in training camp. Injury reports can change close to tip-off, so check the final status of both teams before the game.
What to watch
Opening night results don’t decide much over an 82-game season, but this one carries extra weight as a rematch of a seven-game series. The NBA Cup also starts soon after, on October 31 in Philippine time; our NBA season format guide explains how the Cup and the rest of the season work.
Watch the battle on the glass, the Spurs’ three-guard defense on Gilgeous-Alexander, and whether Oklahoma City’s size forces San Antonio to change its lineup. For more opening-week matchups, see our game previews.
